National Hobby Month: What hobbies did Walt Disney have?

Watch a short biography of Walt Disney, including his early love of drawing, the debut of Mickey Mouse in "Steamboat Willie," his feature films "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Mary Poppins," and the opening of Disneyland in 1955.

on.aol.com

January is National Hobby Month. Hobbies are a great way to explore and collect those things that interest us the most. Different hobbies include, stamp collecting, hiking, drawing and reading. Just to name a few. We all have our favorite hobbies, some of us have more than one that we enjoy. While celebrating National Hobby Month we plan to take a look at some of Walt Disney’s favorite hobbies.

Walt Disney developed a passion for drawing at a very young age. By the age of four he already was showing a love for drawing. Disney was known for creating various drawings and sketches during his childhood. It was obvious he has a talent to bring his imagination to life on paper. By the age of seven, Disney started to sell his best drawings to friends, neighbors and relatives.

Eventually Disney decided it was time to perfect his hobby and make his dreams come true. He joined an art academy in Chicago and went on to compete in several different drawing competitions. He even started shooting photographs for his school’s paper. This was just the beginning of the Disney we all know and love today.

Another one of Disney’s hobbies was building model trains. He spent a lot of time creating and building an entire 1/8-scale steam railroad in his backyard. That model is currently on display in Disneyland’s Main Street Station. Because of Walt’s fascination with trains several different model trains can be found on display throughout all of the Disney parks and resorts, including the popular one near the Germany pavilion in Epcot.

In the spirit of National Hobby Month start reflecting back on the different hobbies you enjoy. Take the time to enjoy working on your hobbies. You never know. You may be able to turn that hobby into a successful career just like Disney did.

To keep up on the latest Disney and other travel ideas, tips, reviews and news “like” my Facebook page - WDW Travel Examiner - or follow me on twitter @WDWTravelExam. You can also “Subscribe” to my Examiner.com page by clicking the button near the top of the page.

Grouse Mountain in British Columbia, Canada, dates back to 1894, when a party of pioneer hikers made their first ascent up the slopes. After shooting a blue grouse, they named the rugged peak “Grouse Mountain.”